Xilinx Embedded Development Kit 9.1i

Several days ago, Xilinx released the Xilinx Embedded Development Kit (EDK) v9.1i for Virtex-5 SXT, LX and LXT FPGAs, Spartan-3A and Spartan-3AN devices.Embedded Development Kit 9.1i also includes a new  version of MicroBlaze.

Xilinx Platform Studio
Xilinx Platform Studio (XPS) is the integrated development environment (IDE) to design embedded system with Xilinx’s FPGA devices. The XPS Software Development Kit (SDK) is the Eclipse-based IDE used by software savvy engineers to develop and debug application code targeted for Xilinx processors. In EDK 9.1i, the XPS SDK compile/debug capabilities have been enhanced, and the process of defining and generating software processing platforms has been significantly streamlined through control of compiler settings; automated generation of libraries, software drivers and linker scripts; and FLASH writing and design module synchronization.

MicroBlaze Soft Processing Core
The Xilinx MicroBlaze 32-bit soft processing core has been optimized for implementation in both the Spartan and Virtex platform FPGA families, including the newest Virtex-5 SXT, LX and LXT devices. Using the XPS 9.1i design tools, the new MicroBlaze version 6.00 processor is easily configured for optimal performance/size based on the targeted device and makes use of five pipeline stages for improved instruction throughput. MicroBlaze v6.00 also offers optional microcaches for memory-constrained designs and a new Mul64 instruction for 32-bit integer multiplication with 64-bit results. As is standard practice with Xilinx, MicroBlaze v6.00 is backward compatible to enable design migration and reuse of MicroBlaze v5.00 and v4.00-based embedded processing platforms.

Pricing and Availability
The EDK 9.1i release is immediately available for USD $495, and conveniently bundles the XPS 9.1i tool suite with a processing IP library, software drivers, documentation, reference design examples and the MicroBlaze soft processing IP core. XPS 9.1i supports MicroBlaze and PowerPC(R) processing design for Xilinx Virtex-5, Virtex-4, Virtex-II Pro, and most Spartan-3 platform FGPAs, while introducing early access support for Spartan-3A/AN devices. Evaluation versions of the Xilinx ISE 9.1i logic design tools and ChipScope Pro hardware debugger are also included.

Source: Embedded Development Kit 9.1i - Xilinx